AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead
Season 3, Episode 16: “Sleigh Ride”
Directed by Andrew Bernstein
Written by Dave Erickson & Mark Richard
* For a recap & review of the penultimate Season 3 finisher, “Things Bad Begun” – click here
* Season 4 reviews coming next year
Proctor John (Ray McKinnon) and his crew, Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) included are heading into the dam. Carnage lies in front of them, bloody corpses in the water and the like. The Proctors have the upper hand, particularly as more of the men show up. They meet Strand (Colman Domingo) at the docks; Alicia’s pretty surprised, though they save any pleasantries and once alone, they plan in hushed tones. “Mea culpa,” Victor pleads after Proctor John finds out a dozen of his men are dead.
Stuck alone together in that room, Madison (Kim Dickens) and Nick (Frank Dillane) confront their relationship, all the ugliness. He asks if she ever wished he’d died, back in his junkie days. Now, her son isn’t sure of his mother, after what she did to Troy, so callously. However, he doesn’t think about all she’s done for him. All that Troy did, either. I understand where he’s coming from, yet he forgets so much.
There’s also Daniel (Rubén Blades) bleeding from his shot face, Lola (Lisandra Tena) helping him out of loyalty. She has to leave him at the bottom of a manhole, by himself, trapped below ground.
Elsewhere, Alicia changes Proctor John’s dressings while he talks about Buddhism, how he hates liars. Y’know: small talk. After which he asks how she knows Strand, the guy isn’t stupid. She tells him the truth about getting out of LA with his help, about her mother. He reveals she was there at the dam, that Strand made a deal for her safety, too. But the “larger negotiation” that was a part of has fallen to bits. If only Alicia might be capable of making her own deal. What’s required? Go to Houston with the Proctors, and mom is free.
Strand gets back to Nick and Madison, they’re not happy with him. He’s trying, I guess. He also tells them about Alicia, casually warning about Proctor John: “He likes his toys.” What our man Victor has up his sleeve is trying to sneak the Clarks out, right in plain sight with uniforms. Madison can see her tenuous friend’s stressed, so he explains the situation with Daniel.
As Victor walks his friends out, Lola comes in firing after discovering Efrain dead, a bullet in the head. She gets one of her own from Proctor John. Now, the gang’s found out, the plans have completely deteriorated. The Proctors do a bit of shit kicking with Strand’s face. At the same time, Madison angles to try getting them out of there. Doesn’t work. The boss says he’ll kill her kids while she watches. Everybody goes.
Out on the dam, the family says goodbye to one another, fearing they’re about to be murdered. This is when Victor reveals the explosives wiring the place. “Take his tongue already,” Proctor John orders. But Strand doesn’t have the detonator, Nick does. He’s ready to blow the place to the moon.
Back to another Madison Clark daydream, in that nice house in the wasteland. All her friends are there, from Daniel to Jeremiah (Dayton Callie) to Jake (Sam Underwood) and Walker (Michael Greyeyes). Strand shows up with gifts. A happy holiday for everybody! Hugs and smiles and dinner ready for eating. Well, if you’re into eating Jeremiah’s chopped off head, I suppose? Yum! The nice dinner becomes a bloodbath, a nightmarish holiday, Christmas in hell. And once more, Madison’s left alone amongst the graves of everyone she knows.
What will Nick do? He’s ensuring safety for mom and Alicia. He’ll stay behind to make sure they get away. He explains this is his “suicide note.” A sacrifice for the greater good of his family. Nothing else to do. The two women and Strand head for a boat, to escape. Leaving Nick to the Proctors.
“War was waiting to be realised by us, and here we are.”
Daniel’s gotten himself back on two feet. He’s got the skills still, as well. Disarming one man, killing three. He’s headed up top. Nick watches while his family and Strand speed off, waiting for the right time to detonate. Right as Crazy Dog (Justin Rain) pops a shot into one guy’s head from the distance with a sniper rifle, he and Walker keeping an eye on things like the loyal men we’ve come to know. Crazy Dog continues firing, just as Daniel walks in firing alongside him.
But Nick blows the dam anyway. The concrete rumbles, cracking, and the falling walls threaten to suck his family into the rapids, over a waterfall through the river. Crazy Dog and Walker assume the worst, moving on north. Nick awaits the end.
Madison dreams more. She’s at Jeremiah’s grave. He hauls her in under the dirt. She’s actually floating in the water by the dam, being pulled by the rushing waters. As she imagines bursting out of the grave, Travis (Cliff Curtis) is there to haul her up. She slips back under, still in the water.
She finally opens her eyes, swimming to the surface. She makes it to land, seeing people coming to the shore, filling their buckets and containers with water after so long. In a way, Nick did what Efrain wanted, to get the water to the people. At what cost?
We’ll have to wait and see.
An intense finale. I mean, wow… I didn’t expect some of this to go down, not like it did. Very excited for Season 4. Not sure exactly where things will head, after all we’ve seen in these last few action-packed, plot-filled episodes. So much potential, the series is already wonderful. It can get even better.
Nick (Frank Dillane) has a shopping cart full of zombie heads. He’s cleaning the place up in front of the Bazaar. Why? He’s helping the man in the bar come up with more brain stem, y’know, for the local economy. And it helps their people fight harder, needing no sleep. But who are they fighting? Nick’s curious. Right now, he only cares about the cash.
Daniel (Rubén Blades) gets a visit from Walker (Michael Greyeyes), returning a cross necklace Ofelia (Mercedes Mason) had worn. The grieving father feels guilt over not having stopped his daughter’s death. He discovers Walker feels the same way, too, and he has no answers, nobody does. This is life in the post-zombie landscape, nothing is forever, nothing is for sure. Ever.
“People don‘t change. We just walk in circles.”
In surgery, Eddie cuts Proctor John open, digging for the growth. Alicia talks to her patient, who won’t be put under, she tries keeping his mind busy, getting him chatting about his life. And he admires her “tough skin.”
Visions of the Clark household at the holidays, Christmas music playing. The table’s set, the turkey’s being basted, everything is wonderful. A vision of festive happiness. It’s in the middle of the wasteland, and there’s no real happiness. Alicia’s dead, the Ottos are still dead. Nick has a child with Luciana (Danay Garcia), but they leave her behind, all alone.
It’s time for Ofelia to go to her father. Madison asks Walker to stay behind, not knowing what Daniel might do if he’s there. So, he says his goodbye to his close friend, for the last time. The two women head outside together, waiting. As they talk, about parents, children, just as Daniel comes across the parking lot, Ofelia dies. The reunion lost. He goes mad, pulling a gun on Madison, believing it a “sick joke.”
Loved this episode. Season 3’s been pretty stellar all around, so I’m looking forward to seeing where we go in these last few episodes. Very interesting things happening with many of the characters.
Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) faces a new situation, as a type of leader rather than someone surrounded by those leading. She takes on a new responsibility, with everybody stuck in the pantry bunker. People are worried, some are missing. Outside is the constant gnash of undead teeth, the walkers scratching at the door. There’s also a bite inside, too. Ofelia (Mercedes Mason) and Crazy Dog (Justin Rain) show Alicia they’ve got other troubles, there’s no airflow through their vent. If they don’t do something, they’ll run out of air.
Still, it ain’t easy. Some are very troubled by the process. However, one brave man steps up to take his morphine, to then be put down in as humane a way as possible. Alicia and her militia sidekick give him the dose, and after that he’s given quiet death. Although it isn’t so easy for the new leader to do, she takes it like most normal humans would, nearly going to pieces.
In the meantime, Crazy Dog and Ofelia are heading through the vent. He nearly hyperventilates, but she calms him down. We discover he was in Iraq, came back likely with PTSD. Occasionally has attacks, like that one. After going further, climbing up a grate, he goes limp and they fall together, a walker tumbling onto her. She has to pull out her gun, blowing its head off. Safe, for now.
Dig this episode. Claustrophobic, terribly creepy at times in that pantry. Lots going on, emotionally and plot-wise. Can’t wait for more with “El Matadero” next week.
Out in the wilderness, Troy (Daniel Sharman) writes away in his little book, he eats whatever snakes and other animals he can find to quell the hunger. He’s surviving. But for how long? He has one bullet left in the chamber of his gun, nothing else. He goes back to an old ranch, where they found the old man having his brain pecked out by crows awhile back. In the shed he finds a bit of canned food, some normalcy. Behind a false wall he finds weaponry, as well.
Back on the ranch, Nick and Crazy Dog (Justin Rain) are actually working together, as well as the rest of the two camps. Our boy’s getting pretty comfortable with a gun. They’ve got to put down a herd of cattle, they’re not well. Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) is doing her best to keep Jake’s (Sam Underwood) head in the right place, he’s lamenting the loss of everything the ranch was in the beginning. Then it turns out he knows there are other places like the ranch, it wasn’t “a monopoly.” However, they can’t take everyone, it’d only be them.
Things are getting nasty between Jake and Alicia, their relationship breaking down a bit. All before Nick turns up to tell them about his visitor, all the weird shit he was talking. Alicia believes they’re being lured, though it doesn’t deter Jake. He wants to face his brother, after all that’s happened. When he and Nick go out looking for him, he tells a story about having to put down an animal. This is what he intends to do with his brother. A primitive parallel.
The ranch gears up, militia and the tribe together. For better or worse. Crazy Dog allows the weapons to go free, hoping they can fight off any coming attack. At the same time, Nick rushes past the zombies to try getting help for Jake. At the ranch, everyone lines up the trailers and RVs to form a path for the dead. The living hide on one side, pushing the horde further down. They just underestimated exactly how huge the horde was, how many of them were headed for the ranch. Zombies being crawling under the blockade, people chop and stab and slice.
One of the best episodes of the series! Just unexpected, good character work as usual. Lots to enjoy, to look forward to, and a bit to weep over. Really love Sam Underwood, too bad his character is gone. Yet in a way, I love they did that. Never saw it coming, plus Troy’s left and his morally ugly character will provide more plots to spring up, especially if he and Nick save everyone in the pantry.
Madison (Kim Dickens), Qaletqa Walker (Michael Greyeyes), and Strand (Colman Domingo) are now on the road together, heading for the dam. Before that Over the highway, they come across a group of walkers and overturned cars in the way, a jam nearly the whole way up, far as the eye can see.
The further they go, the less Qaletqa trusts this man Madison used all his gold to free. He believes Strand is lost. Certainly, it isn’t altogether out of the realm of possibility. The dark stretches of tunnel go on for what feels like forever; walkers overhead occasionally, some in the tunnels themselves. Danger at every blind turn.
Will the former relationship Daniel and Madison had, before the split of the group help? Will Daniel’s desire to see his daughter again aid the ranch in getting what they need? Lola clearly knows he’s a dangerous man, but he’s helped her a great deal, she has a sort of respect or care for him. Simultaneously, Walker isn’t happy with Strand, telling him that if Madison can’t make this deal for the water, the ranchers will suffer. Because the tribe comes first, and there ain’t enough water for everybody!
Walker’s already done. He’s kicking himself for listening to Madison, he’s leaving. Also says the ranchers must leave. Not enough water, no deal on the horizon. It’s over. This is putting Madison in a hard corner. She pushes Daniel, telling him Ofelia needs him. But that doesn’t work, not on a guy with a blackened, bitter soul.
Another solid chapter in Season 3, pushing forward several plots, giving us more character development, and much more. Just great writing. Truly love some of these characters, especially Strand, Madison, and Walker, all of whom are getting lots of time. Daniel is interesting, too. In a dark way.
We see Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), but ages ago, as a young man. Drinking beer and kicking around in a white suit not quite big enough for him. A woman comes by asking about Marie L’Angell. The kid sells the whole experience of Angelville, the old hustle he learned from grandma at an early age.
Herr Starr (Pip Torrens) is making Jesse into the Messiah, presenting him to the world. He’s even put a nice cape on him for the reveal. The preacher isn’t interested, he doesn’t want to be that type of leader. He’s starting by talking to a bunch of Catholic school kids. Starr records on his iPhone while the new Messiah preaches to the children and their Mother Superior (Sharon Garrison).
Well, later on Tulip (Ruth Negga) gets back from impromptu robbing a store. Then she and Cassidy start hooking up again. Which I don’t dig. I mean, I know Jesse’s not been attentive lately. But it isn’t cool that these two are going behind his back like that. She could just be done with Jesse, fully, if she wanted. Rather than that she’s in bed with the vamp.
Preparing for their trip to sunny beaches, Tulip finally stumbles across the cameras put up by the Grail operatives, realising Starr’s watched them the entire time they’ve been in New Orleans. Both Cassidy and Tulip aren’t just worried about the spying, they both masturbated near that camera, goddamn it! A true invasion of privacy.
What’s next for the remaining two? They’ve got Tulip’s body in the backseat of the car, taking her someplace else. Cassidy says he hates Jesse. Although the preacher says: “Just you wait.” Because now they’re back in Angelville, after all these years. A cock running free along the grass. Could it be the same one he had grandma bring back to life years ago? That’s most definitely his plan for Tulip. An undead type of thing, y’know.
Nick (Frank Dillane) is being punished for his role in helping Troy (Daniel Sharman), even if he did talk the guy out of some crazy shit. He’s being kept out in a can, a little slot to see outside; the hot box torture. Where he sees Troy talking to him, taunting. Afterwards he’s let out.
Mom goes off with Walker, while her kids stay at the ranch. Nick is out of his little tin can, a bit of water, cut free. The kids head home and Alicia tries keeping her secret, even from her brother. Upstairs, Jake is dealing with unhappy people concerning the rationing of the water. We see Alicia doing her best to speak strongly, convincing them to trust in the remaining Otto, that he has their best interests at heart.
Alicia’s discussing with Ofelia (Mercedes Mason), Crazy Dog, the issue of people possibly taking twice their ration of water. Something a militia man claims. Things are uneasy, getting worse by the day. “Control your own people first,” says Ofelia; maybe bargaining with the woman who tried poisoning everyone on that land ain’t such a hot idea.
Things aren’t so great for Strand, he has a debt that needs paying to the proctor of the Bazaar. He’s in chains until the debt’s paid off. Madison doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her friend. “The whole world is lost,” Victor tells her, pleading that she just leaves and goes back to her kids again. So nonchalant in the face of danger, always.
Excellent first two episodes after the mid-season break. The whole Native storyline mixed in with the post-zombie wasteland is very interesting, as is the idea of the border, the whole concept of the water supply (a genuinely real world concern if the apocalypse of any kind does ever come). Love the writing.
“Death is Not the End” plays as we see how things are now at the ranch, since last we were with Madison (Kim Dickens) and her family, the remaining Ottos, Troy (Daniel Sharman) and Jake (Sam Underwood). And while things are okay, they’re certainly not great. They never are, not in the post-zombie apocalypse wasteland of America. Only gets so good. Nick (Frank Dillane) is getting closer and closer to Troy, fitting further into the militia-style living and I’m actually a bit worried about his mental state. Meanwhile, Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) and Jake are living together, getting by, though he’s not feeling well; I wonder if his illness is serious.
Troy isn’t ready to “accept” only “tolerate” the tribe. His brother’s more willing to work with Walker, in order to make the transition smoother; Jake wants them all to survive, rather than a large number of them dying in a fight over the land. They’ve got the weapons and ammunition setup so that it takes both Jake and Walker to unlock the storage. They’ll attempt to co-exist.
Yet all is not well. Because as long as Troy’s alive, and his lie about Walker’s tribe killing the Trimbles is allowed to live on, too, then there’s never going to be full peace. Never.
Before Madison can talk the guy down shots rain down on the house, with Nick still inside. Men lay siege to the place, as Troy returns fire. When one of the tribesmen goes to stab Nick, guess who’s there to take the blade right through his hand? You guessed it. This puts the two young men in even further cramped situations. At the same time, Nick is seeing the path he’s almost set himself on, falling into the militia thinking that’s taken the younger Otto into dark, dark territory.
Great way to jump back into Season 3 after the mid-season finale! Love this series, almost at times more than The Walking Dead. Mainly because there’s a very desperate feeling of humanity slowly draining away in the earliest weeks and months of the zombie apocalypse.
Eugene (Ian Colletti) and Hitler (Noah Taylor) are making their escape. The alarms come alive. Personal Hell comes back to the young man. He tries to resist the temptation to kiss Traci, to change the outcome. Finally, he gets it right and things are okay. For a moment. And then, they’re not anymore. We also discover there’s some hidden abuse in Eugene’s past. All before Hugo Root (W. Earl Brown) shows up, his face puckered into the butthole wound like his son’s has been since the accident. Instead of things getting worse, the father and son finally come together in this vision.
We go back to the Saint of Killers (Graham McTavish), dropped in that armoured truck to the bottom of a swamp. After a week of beating at the doors, he thinks about souls, like the ones in the vials in there with him. He flashes back to an old memory of him, his pregnant wife, being baptised in a lake by a preacher.
Sure enough when Tulip goes to drop the garbage out, the cowboy returns. What’s scary about him is that Tulip doesn’t get scared by anything, and this dude scares her. Not to mention he wallops her into the wall when she tries stopping him, knocking her out cold. Into the apartment the cowboy goes, Cass and Jesse not expecting a thing, having a casual drink and a laugh.
Soon, in a Grail ambulance, Tulip and Cassidy are whisked away to Starr’s office. He’s planting the seeds of distrust, trying to break the loyalty between the trio. Of course under the guise that he’s doing it for the better of Jesse, his supposed destiny.
Fantastic episode leading into the finale next week. “The End of the Road” should offer us a big fucking bang at the end of an interesting, fun, weird season. Expect wild things! Because I certainly do.
